Deputy Clare Daly demands action after tests prove she is not guilty of drink driving

Independent deputy Clare Daly is to take action against the Irish police force after she was cleared of drink driving last month.

The left-wing politician has claimed police tried to tarnish her reputation when they leaked a story to the media that she had been arrested for driving under the influence.

The Dublin deputy has now issued a statement confirming that she was 33 per cent below the legal limit in tests conducted on the night of her arrest on January 28th.

In the statement, released on her website, Daly explains what happened on the night and how she has now been cleared of all charges after the test results were issued.

The statement on www.claredaly.ie says: “On Monday night 28th January, after meetings in the Dail, I attended a meeting in Swords and left at 9.30pm for another meeting requested by a family on the Southside of the city near the Canal.

“I arrived after 10pm and spent almost two hours discussing issues which I had raised in the Dail. Before I left I was offered a hot whiskey for a cold.

“I left at midnight and not being familiar with the area found myself on the road to Ballyfermot at Kilmainham and took a right turn onto the South Circular Road trying to get back onto the North side - unfortunately there is No Right Turn at this junction and this was brought to my attention by Gardai (police) in a car who stopped me.

“I was breathalysed but the equipment didn’t register a reading. I was arrested and handcuffed on the side of the road. I objected to being handcuffed and stated that I would willingly go to the Garda station. I was told by the arresting Garda that this was ‘procedure’.

“I was brought in a patrol car to the Kilmainham Garda Station - within 300 metres distance. At one point I was placed in a cell on my own. A doctor was called and I provided a urine sample.

“When I was released a female Garda told me to ‘come back when you are sober’.”

Daly is to make a formal complaint to Ireland’s police ombudsman and clearly believes she has been victimised.

She added: “I believe that the Gardai implementing road safety have a job to do and I support them. However, I object strongly to the arrest, handcuffing and release of information re the arrest on suspicion of drink driving to the tabloid press early on Tuesday. My legal advice is that none of this is ‘procedure’.

“I believe that this was a deliberate attempt to discredit a left-wing TD who has raised issues of malpractice within the Garda Siochana. This information could only have come from within the Gardai.

“The Garda Ombudsman is investigating this matter, as a criminal investigation under Section 98 of the Garda Soichana Act 2005. This is a very serious issue. Every citizen is entitled to their good name and to have their privacy respected.

“Garda whistle blowers who have quite correctly approached the designated Confidential Recipient and elected TDs, as they are lawfully entitled to do, have been threatened that they will be fully investigated in accordance with the Garda Siochana (Discipline) Regulations 2007 for speaking to a third party.

“I now expect that the same enthusiasm will be taken in relation to those who have sought to damage me.

“I have received the official result of the test on the urine sample provided and the result is 45 milligrammes per 100 millilitres of urine, which is 33% below the allowable limit - 67 milligrammes.”